Bidens plant named ‘TOP BID 11904’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Bidens  plant named ‘TOP BID 11904’, characterized by its semi-upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; relatively large leaves; freely flowering habit; relatively large inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray florets; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above and beyond the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Bidens triplinervia×Bidens ferulifolia.

Cultivar denomination: ‘TOP BID 11904’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bidens plant, botanically known as Bidens triplinervia×Bidens ferulifolia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘TOP BID 11904’.

The new Bidens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Bolzano, Italy. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Bidens plants with large inflorescences with numerous ray florets.

The new Bidens plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Bolzano, Italy in May, 2010 of Bidens triplinervia×Bidens ferulifolia ‘BID 719’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,271, as the female, or seed, parent with Bidens triplinervia×Bidens ferulifolia ‘TOP BID 9304’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Bidens plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Bolzano, Italy in October, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Bidens by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Bolzano, Italy since November, 2010, has shown that the unique features of this new Bidens plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Bidens have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘TOP BID 11904’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘TOP BID 11904’ as a new and distinct Bidens plant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Relatively large leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Relatively large inflorescences with golden yellow-colored         ray florets.     -   6. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above and         beyond the foliar plane.

Plants of the new Bidens differ from plants of the female parent, ‘BID 719’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bidens are more upright than and not as         trailing as plants of ‘BID 719’.     -   2. Plants of the new Bidens have larger leaves than plants of         ‘BID 719’.     -   3. Plants of the new Bidens have larger inflorescences with more         ray florets than plants of ‘BID 719’.

Plants of the new Bidens differ from plants of the male parent, ‘TOP BID 9304’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bidens were not as vigorous as plants of         ‘TOP BID 9304’.     -   2. Plants of the new Bidens have larger leaves than plants of         ‘TOP BID 9304’.     -   3. Plants of the new Bidens have larger inflorescences with more         ray florets than plants of ‘TOP BID 9304’.

Plants of the new Bidens can be compared to plants of Bidens ferulifolia ‘Bidcomtis’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,326. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Bolzano, Italy, plants of the new Bidens differed from plants of ‘Bidcomtis’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Bidens were more upright than plants of         ‘Bidcomtis’.     -   2. Plants of the new Bidens had larger leaves than plants of         ‘Bidcomtis’.     -   3. Plants of the new Bidens had larger inflorescences with more         ray florets than plants of ‘Bidcomtis’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Bidens plant. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Bidens plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘TOP BID 11904’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘TOP BID 11904’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in one-gallon containers during the spring in an outdoor nursery in Bonsall, Calif. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Bidens production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 10° C. to 21° C., night temperatures ranged from 7° C. to 14° C. and light levels ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 foot-candles. Plants were pinched one time at planting and then a second time about three weeks later. Plants were three months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Bidens triplinervia×Bidens ferulifolia     ‘TOP BID 11904’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Bidens triplinervia×Bidens ferulifolia ‘BID             719’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,271.         -   Male parent.—Bidens triplinervia×Bidens ferulifolia ‘TOP BID             9304’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one week at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at             temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness to fine, fleshy; white             in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Semi-upright, outwardly spreading to             mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely             branching habit with about five to six primary lateral             branches, each primary lateral branch with one to two             lateral branches developing at each node.         -   Plant height.—About 26 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 38 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 27 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Aspect: Initially upright             then outwardly spreading forming a mounding plant habit.             Strength: Strong; flexible. Texture: Pubescent; minute.             Color, developing: Close to 148C. Color, mature: Close to             199A to 199B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; relatively large.         -   Length.—About 7 cm.         -   Width, towards the apex.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Width, towards the base.—About 6 cm.         -   Shape.—Roughly deltoid; deeply dissected.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Deeply dissected.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Scattered pubescence;             minute.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to N138B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A to 137B;             venation, close to 147C. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to N138B; venation, close to 147C.         -   Petiole length.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent;             minute.         -   Petiole color, upper surface.—Close to 146D.         -   Petiole color, lower surface.—Close to 147C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance and flowering habit.—Solitary rotate composite             inflorescences that are terminal or axillary; inflorescences             are positioned above and beyond the foliar plane on strong             peduncles; terminal inflorescences face upright and axillary             inflorescences face outwardly; freely flowering habit with             about 28 to 29 inflorescences developing per lateral branch.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower continuously from spring until the fall in Southern             California.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Individual inflorescences last             about five to seven days on the plant; disc florets             persistent and ray florets are not persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About             1.2 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 1A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: Large, about 3.7 cm. Depth             (height): About 1.8 cm to 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.1 cm.             Receptacle diameter: About 2.2 cm. Receptacle height: About             8 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 147B.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About ten to twelve             arranged in one to two whorls. Length: About 1.8 cm. Width:             About 8 mm. Shape: Narrow fan-shape. Apex: Emarginate. Base:             Fused into a short tube. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Longitudinally ridged, glabrous; satiny.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 13B. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 4A. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 14A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to             14B.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 105 massed at             the center of the receptacle. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate.             Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, when opening: Apex: Close to 13A.             Mid-section: Close to 199C. Base: Close to NN155D. Color,             fully opened: Apex: Close to 14A. Mid-section: Close to             153C. Base: Close to 145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 24 arranged in             about two whorls. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent;             minute. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 147A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 8.5 cm. Length,             second peduncle: About 7.3 cm. Length, third peduncle: About             6 cm. Diameter, all peduncles: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong;             flexible. Aspect, terminal peduncles: Upright. Aspect,             axillary peduncles: About 30° to 45° from vertical. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 145B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on both ray and             disc florets. Quantity per floret: Five. Filament length:             About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to 4A. Anther shape:             Lanceolate. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close             to 200C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 17B.             Gynoecium: Only present on disc florets. Quantity per disc             floret: One. Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 17A. Style length: About             6 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to             145D.         -   Fruits and seeds.—Fruit and seed development have not been             observed on plants of the new Bidens. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Bidens have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Bidens     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Bidens have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate     temperatures from about 1° C. to about 45° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Bidens plant named ‘TOP BID 11904’ as illustrated and described. 